Lawn Wars. Neighbors compete to have the perfect lawn. Men meticulously put down weed killer. Women place brightly colored flowers around the yard. The teenage kids mow the lawn three times a week, keeping the grass at a healthy 3.5 inches. And edge the flowerbeds so not a piece of grass is out of place. Why go to all this trouble? Many people have decided to switch to

Instead of making it a family job to make sure the grass looks better than the next-door neighbors, why not invest in an artificial grass lawn? Landscaping becomes easier; hours can be spent with family instead of used slaving over a lawn that doesn’t get any greener no matter how much work you put into it. It is safe for pets, looks great, and doesn’t require a fraction of the upkeep that a traditional lawn needs.

Some people might perhaps worry about the price, especially if their backyard is particularly big. But not to worry. Thanks to artificial grass wholesale, a family on a budget can still select a beautiful and natural looking lawn without breaking the bank.

Artificial grass cannot only be used in a family’s backyard, but also can be used for sporting fields. If your neighborhood decides to spruce up the soccer or football fields, suggest using artificial grass. There is virtually no upkeep; the field remains pristine, regardless of the weather.

So this summer, forget about slaving away over your lawn, or volunteering to paint lines on that neighborhood soccer field. Install artificial grass and spend more time with your family.

Have you ever pondered turf? Maybe the word generates images of football stadiums, or some other sports complex. To me, the word turf implies a whole world of possibilities. Think about it. Humans have engineered fake grass, next thing you know there will be 3-D technology that doesn’t require glasses (Oh, wait). The world is advancing fast, and it’s a struggle to keep up with a society that is changing as fast as ours is.

There is definitely a promising future for the turf industry. A few years ago, my high school decided to buy artificial turf for its football field. I thought it was a questionable move at first, after all, our old field served the football and lacrosse teams just fine in the past, but after its completion the whole thing made a lot more sense. Our football stadium was beautiful, and we proudly displayed the Bull, our school’s mascot, in the center of the turf and never had to worry that the wear and tear of the practicing sports teams would damage the field.

In time, I would imagine that the artificial grass prices would pay for themselves. Our turf field wouldn’t need to time and labor involved in maintaining a natural grass field. The players were happy. Before there were holes that players could injure themselves on, or unevenness in the field that tipped the game in one team’s favor. As artificial grass becomes more common, it will be interesting to see what other synthetic green avenues await us in the future.

If you’re planning on growing your own garden, here are a few rules that can help you create a successful garden that will look good all year around.

Planning your foundation plants – These are the small trees and bushes that are planted around your home. Growing a few small plants around your home will create a soft transition from the lawn to the flower beds. When planting your trees, plant them so that they wouldn’t damage your foundation or block your entrance/ windows once they grow.

Trees – Do your research on the type of tree you would like to plant. Consider the tree’s width, height, form, color, suitability to your climate and its water needs. If you like trees that are low maintenance, consider when the tree produces fruit and when it’s leaves fall.

Ground covers – Groundcover plants are great to reduce lawn coverage. They also require a lot less maintenance than a lawn. Any plant that spreads, can be used as a ground cover plant. The thicker the plant grows, the less weeding is required. The plant you select should be able to coexist with other plants.

Vines – Vines are a great addition for low maintenance gardens that are relatively small. They provide a lot of colour and can help to hide eyesores that are costly to fix. When choosing a vine, pay attention on how it will attach itself for support. Vines that cling, are permanent and are suitable for brick and stone. Other vines take a long time to grow and some take less than a year to reach 10 feet.

Growing a vegetable garden in your home is a great way to save some money and enjoy the pleasures of growing vegetables that are pesticide free. Growing your own vegetables can also be fun and if you have kids, it is a great way to teach them how to grow and take care of plants. Here are a few tips to consider beforehand;

What to grow- Start small with a range of vegetables that grow throughout the season. Think tomatoes, peppers and squash. Later on you could branch out into vegetables like, carrot, radishes and corn, which only produce once a year.

Space- Decide on the space you would like to use for your vegetable garden. If you choose to grow your vegetables in pots, you could even use a balcony or deck.

Assess your space- Remember that your vegetable garden should have the following;

Sun – At least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight

Water – Vegetables need water in dry weather. Plant your garden near a water source.

Soil- Vegetables grow best in soil that is moist, well-drained and rich in compost. To test your soil start with soaking the soil with water. Then wait a day, take a handful of soil and squeeze it. If water comes out, you will need to add a bit of compost. Also check the soil once you open your hand. If the soil hasn’t formed a ball and the sand falls apart, the soil is most probably too sandy. If by some chance your soil forms a ball and breaks like chocolate cake. You have the ideal soil for planting.

Nothing like a new year to make you want to freshen up your garden. Making sure your outdoor living area looks its best, will bring a new outlook to the start of the year. Follow the following guides to make your garden ready for 2016.

Ready your lawn

Your lawn is the backdrop for your garden. Keep it fresh and tidy by giving it a good mow and snipping the edges. Make sure your lawn gets sufficient water by either fitting water sprinklers or watering your lawn with a hose at least once a day. Cover up brown patches by adding a bit more water and good soil.

Tidy your plants

Tidy your plants by cutting off dead leaves and pulling out the weeds. If you have plants that are not growing, pull them out and plant a new. Make sure you give your pots a good clean and hose down, to make sure they look shiny and new.

Throw away rubbish

Throw out any old gardening equipment that is not in use. If you have old garden furniture, place it in your shed or better yet give it away.

Clean your garden furniture

If you have garden furniture or a bird bath, give it a good clean. If its made of plastic, you could give it a good wipe down. For wood furniture, clean it down and give it a few coats of varnish to make sure the wood stays in good condition. Add a splash of color with a bright umbrella or a table cloth.

There’s more than one reason why you should consider a home garden. For one, the prices of vegetables are increasing. If that’s not enough, harmful pesticides are commonly used these days.

Yet it’s not that difficult to grow a few common vegetables. Here are 5 tips to set up a small home garden:

1: Start small

There’s every chance that you might not have a lot of space in your backyard. Or this is because you live in an apartment. Of course, once you get started, you might want to give up, thanks to a few roadblocks that people experience. So, start small and probably with either mint or tomato.

2: What should you plant

Of course, this is based on what vegetables you grow the most as well as the amount of space you have for a garden. There are a number of options available if you do not have enough space. They are mushrooms, cucumbers, peppers, mint, basil and tomatoes.

3: Watering Schedule

You can easily run an internet search for the ideal water measurements. Of course, you can ask people who have tended to a kitchen garden too. Just remember: aerating and draining away water is just as important.

4: Weeding

Without a doubt, weeding your garden will be very important. For this, you have to watch out for small insects that can harm your crop. So, ensure that you weed on time.

5: Where should you keep the plants

If you are planning an indoor garden, make sure the plants are kept in places where there is natural light. This could either next to a window or even in the balcony. Just remember that too much light can turn out to be a problem.

With a lot of research being done on soil science, it’s become clear that the state of the soil has a huge impact on the plants grown.

While organic matter makes up about one to six percent as a component of soil. Yet the organic matter as well as the bacteria and fungi that feed on it have the greatest impact on the soil.

Some of the ways by which it happens is how the soil holds water, how the particles are bound together as well as how it makes inorganic elements.

In other words, you can improve the soil condition by adding organic matter.

Compost, for example, whether store-bought or homemade, can be very beneficial. It is a good source of microorganisms that will improve the texture and condition of the soil.

Some of the less popular types of organic matter that can be added to organic soil include seed-free straw and alfalfa hay, autumn leaves, sawdust, annual ryegrass, lawn grass clippings and weed-seed-free sterilized manure.

Of course, almost all types of organic soil have to be tilled or turned into the soil. This is anything but easy.

But this is beneficial since microorganisms from the topmost layer of organic matter will penetrate the soil. Also, as it turns into mulch, the amount of organic matter reduces making the job of tilling it much more easier.

Now, the easiest type of organic material to lay down are the leaves that have fallen from trees.

Dead cool-season grasses can also be left on the soil surface so as to decompose. Straws and hay are good but they take longer to decompose.

If you’ve ever wanted to grow your own vegetables but don’t know where to start, then there are options for gardens of virtually any size.

In other words, there are a number of plants that are easy to grow. All one needs to do is start sowing these plants to get started.

Here are 3 crops that are the easiest to grow:

1: Potatoes

This veggie can be grown in potato bags and between the months of February and March. When you see the green shoots appear, just cover them with more compost. Continue to do this until the bag is full. After that, only water the crop and nothing more. In 10 to 20 weeks, all you have to do is tip the bag out and collect the potatoes.

2: Mint

One thing about growing mint is that it grows very fast and which is why it is a good idea to grow it in a pot. This is to prevent it from spreading too quickly. Of course, if you intend on growing peas and potatoes, then it would serve as excellent garnish too. Not only can you pick it fresh-picked from the garden but you can freeze it in ice cubes to use later on.

3: Peas

This type of crop prefers cooler weather. Sow them in the ground between March and June and collect the crop between June to August. The only thing that you have to worry about is providing them with support as they grow. Use chicken wire or netting for this. One benefit is that the more you pick them, the more they grow.

Invasive pests is one of the biggest challenges that organic gardeners have always faced. Yet it’s not impossible for one to maintain a truly organic garden minus the chemicals used elsewhere.

Here are 4 tips for organic gardeners to keep pests out of their garden:

1: Use Fabric as Cover

You can use floating row covers to prevent a number of species from damaging plants and eating your fruit. Some of these species that will be kept out include squirrels, birds, caterpillars, aphids, moths, words, beetles among other invasive species too.

2: Release ladybugs into your garden

Ladybugs operate as a living, non-toxic pesticide since it has an affinity for almost every insect known to man and more. A single ladybug is known to eat at least 5000 aphids during their lifetime apart from bugs, insects and much more. In fact, the larvae are even hungrier than the adults but they never touch the produce of the garden itself.

3: Try Using Sticky Traps

This is another effective option as it traps bugs with special colors with the objective of killing them. Several simple materials can be used for this: paper, wood, plastic wrap, spray paint and a sticky adhesive substance that you can get from the garden supply store.

4: Produce Your Own All-Purpose Insect Spray

Made from non-toxic (but spicy) substances such as hot pepper and garlic oil, there are other ingredients that can be added to do the trick such as essential oils, non-toxic dish soap and glycerin. You can find a number of recipes over the Web and that should work fine for your garden.

If you have a garden with fast-growing weeds, then you might feel tempted to use chemical pesticides.

This is probably due to a lack of knowledge about alternative techniques and tools. But there are non-toxic weed control methods that are available.

Now, there are two types of weed control: preemergence and postemergence. While the former deals with prevention of weeds in the first place, the latter shows you how to manage and eliminate existing weeds.

Here are 3 simple tools to deal with weeds:

1: Weed Pullers

These specialized diggers help you to remove weeds from the ground. Some of these model come with a handle so that you don’t even have to bend over either. In most cases, and with sharp tines or prongs that are handled by a hand crank or foot pedal, you can grip the weed and yank it out with a pulling or twisting motion. Make sure you look for a model that help you pull out the weed along with the least amount of soil.

2: Natural Herbicides

For those people who consider spraying, you might want to use natural herbicides. One of them is Safer’s SuperFast. It is made from soap. But more importantly, it is one of the least toxic pest control products around. When used, weeds wither within minutes. Of course, perennial weeds will require a few more applications.

3: Flame Weeders

This tool helps with weeding along fences, in turfs as well as pavement cracks too. No matter which model you opt for, all types burning propane from a refillable tank. In fact, most of these models are also used by firefighters to deal with backfires. Now, it’s not necessary to burn weeds completely in order to kill it. Just pass the flame over the weed for about 3 seconds and give it a day or two.

Gardeners are guilty of being hoarders. You can find odds and ends piled and tucked away just in case they’re needed later. This is a good practice.

Recycling in the garden can not only bring out your innovative best but also save you a fortune. So, here are 5 well-thought out garden recycling tips:

1: Fizzy drink bottles

You can use fizzy drink bottles as cloches to cover plants. First, cut the bottoms off. Then place them over plants to protect them from the weather. Unscrew the lids for ventilation. Also, this will prevent them from getting too hot during summer.

2: Old Compost Bags

There are many uses for old compost bags. You can use them as rubbish bags or even split them open to suppress weeds too. Better still, you can grow potatoes in them. Or use them to line raised beds not before you make drainage holes first.

3: Lollipop Sticks

One excellent use for iced lolly sticks during summer is to use them as garden markers. In particular, you can label plants with these sticks if you’d like.

4: Toilet Roll Holders

This item is perfect for growing vegetables that need deep rooting. Some of these veggies include peas, carrots and sweet peas. All you have to do is add compost and sow seeds at the top of the tube. When placing them outdoors, plant the entire tubs in the soil and let it decompose.

5: Egg & Plastic Milk Cartons

Cutting the bottom off a milk carton at 45 degrees will turn it into an effective soil scoop. Make sure you keep the piece with the handle in place. You can chit seed potatoes using egg cartons.

Wild herbs have been used healing remedies for a long time given that they have been an important part of Eastern medicine.

Modern medicine is now waking to the realization that these herbs hold the cure to a number of symptoms and their ailments.

And they’re easy to grow as well since all you need some pots, a sunny spot and soil. Having said that, here are 3 herbs that you can easily grow:

#1: Rosemary

Rosemary has been used as a memory enhancer for as long back as Greek students who wore them while others in Rome massaged their foreheads with it before their examinations. However, there’s another ailment that it can cure: reduces joint pain. For this, soak rosemary needles in almond oil for about two weeks, filter and then rub it on the sore joints as required.

#2: Lemon Balm

Called the gladdening herb, Arab physicians used it primarily to calm heart palpitations and anxiety. Recently, the German Ministry of Health gave it a thumbs up since it relieved tension, restlessness and anxiety. In fact, studies have shown that students not only had improved mood and an increase in memory.

#3: Peppermint

Peppermint can be used as a remedy for indigestion while a cup of peppermint water can thin mucus, soothe sore throats and loosen phlegm too. You can also apply it to take away the itch out of bug bites while easing arthritis, headaches and cramps.